Numbering helps keep a binder organised and easy to reference, particularly in large or complex matters where a structured index is essential. Numbering applies a reference to sections and documents in a binder, and controls how that reference appears in your exported index. You can choose how numbering is applied and customize its format to suit your house style.
Configuring numbering
Prerequisite: you need edit permission on the binder to change numbering settings.
Click the More menu (…), then select Configure numbering, which sits in the middle of the menu after Rename and Duplicate
The Configure numbering panel opens
Choose your numbering mode (see below)
Your changes are saved automatically.
Choosing a numbering mode
Mode | How it works |
Simple (default) | Documents are numbered sequentially; sections aren't numbered. This matches how binder numbering has always worked. |
Hierarchical | Sections and documents are both numbered, using nested decimals that reflect depth (eg 1, 1.1, 1.1.1). This aligns binder numbering with data rooms. |
Custom | Full control over the format at each level. |
Customizing number format
If you choose Custom, you can set the following for each level: up to four levels for documents, and three for sections. The deepest format you configure also applies to any level beyond it:
Prefix: optional text shown before the number
Format: 1, 2, 3 / A, B, C / a, b, c / I, II, III / i, ii, iii
Suffix: optional text shown after the number
Two further toggles are available:
Number sections and documents separately: gives sections and documents their own independent sequence at each level
Include parent numbering: carries the number of a parent section through to its contents
A live preview, using a fixed sample list, updates immediately as you change any setting.
How numbers appear in your index
Numbers display according to the Style and Layout settings you've configured for your index. In a contents style index, numbers appear before the document name, or right aligned if you've turned that on. In a table style index, numbers appear in the fixed Number column.
Note: See Customizing your binder index for the full set of style and layout options.
Numbering in exported files
File names in a ZIP export are prefixed with the document's number, in a format that depends on your numbering mode. Single PDF and PDF portfolio exports reflect your numbering in their index and bookmarks.
Note: See Controlling the binder file for the exact file naming pattern used in each mode.